Tag: sun marquee

We’ve been behind Abram Shook since his early Great Nostalgic days, and we were especially happy to see his progression with Sun Marquee last year. It seems that he’s not long to stay in one place, as his newest single continues to show is continually evolving sound; he includes little bits of drum samples in this track, as well as some funky guitar chops. His ability to operate within varying genres and styles is one of the many reasons his music’s always been so enticing, which makes us even happier he’ll have another album, Landscape Dream, coming our way this year; it’ll see a release via Western Vinyl on May 12th.

If you read our Top 15 Austin Albums of 2014, you hopefully saw that Abram Shook made our list, as he deservedly should. But, I come today not to talk you into adoring his latest work, Sun Marquee, rather to look forward to what he’ll be offering in the future. In between LPs, Abram has decided to release some free digital tracks in a series, and we’ve got one of those tunes for you to listen to today. I love the piano’s bounce here, giving the song an unenviable hook that few can create. Of course, he coats the track in his trademark Western croon. Be sure to donate a buck or more to the cause, so Mr. Shook can deliver an expected collection of new hits.

We’ve been talking about this for weeks, and we’re just a day away from what we consider to be one of the best bills in town Friday night, if not THE best bill in town. All four acts have released great albums or EPs this year, which alone warrants your attendance. Doors are at 9, and at 9:30, you’ll get to hear She Sir. Their album Go Guitars needs to be in your collection, especially if you consider yourself a fan of dreamy indiepop. Next up are Young Girls, who we helped release their Young Girls EP; it’s infectious surf pop with a dose of bad ass. Following them will be Ramesh; we’ll be releasing his debut album on vinyl shortly, so come sample everything great he’s got in store. And the night closes with Abram Shook, long considered one of the best songwriters in town. If you don’t have his album Sun Marquee, you’ll want to grab it at the show! So come one, come all, and get there early to have the night of your life, with us, your friends at ATH and Side One Track One.

If you’ve been a reader of our website in the past, you know that Abram Shook has long been one of our favorite Austin musicians. That being said, you know the ATH team will be making it down to Mohawk tomorrow evening for Mr. Shook’s show celebrating the release of his new album Sun Marquee. Let’s of course not forget the rest of the bill, with a solid undercard of Good Field and Royal Forest. We’ll be inside rockin’ out all evening.

Abram Shook has toiled around the streets of Austin for some time trying to find the right band to fit his unique vision of where his songwriting could go. But, after various line-up changes to his former group, Great Nostalgic, it seems Abram made the right decision to try things out all on his own. His album Sun Marquee carries his vision further than we expected, leaving listeners with a warm experience that you’ll find ultimately rewarding.

Those of you getting your first introduction should immediately take notice of Abram’s unique voice when you play “Recovery.” It’s got a bit of a drawl to it, coated here in an effortless cool that evokes the best of warm climes. He uses the strength of his voice as a central focus in his songs, and he builds the tracks from there. The following tune, “In Mind,” has incredible layering with varying guitar parts working in unison, though each occupying their own space and time. It reminds me of the best moments of old Here We Go Magic tunes, though there’s more of a dreamy quality to the numbers on Sun Marquee.

But while much of the record is devoted to songs that carefully unfold as minutes pass, there’s a few tunes that have some immediacy to them that’s gratifying upon the moment you press play. Take the smooth stomp and swagger of “Distance,” which features a melodious chorus that allows Abram Shook to display his knack for catching the ears of even the most casual of passersby. Or you could take the bright ringing of the guitar that starts “Lifeguard” before the rest of the track begins to unfold into a blissful world of purposeful pop music. It even pulls in this great bit during the chorus that illustrates a bit of playfulness, not to mention Shook’s musical range/influences.

Ultimately, you want an album to be about an experience, about a journey you take as a listener, from start to finish. I couldn’t think of a better way to wrap things up for this listen than with “Black Submarine,” taking all the convincing aspects of the record to this point and compiling them into one strong tune. Whether it’s the guitar interplay or the wash of layers or even the distinctive vocals, you’ll find that it’s a perfectly emphatic finishing stroke by a talented artist.

People always reference stepping out of the darkness and into the light, and it seems that Abram Shook‘s own journey to solo artist serves as his own coming party. Sun Marquee shows him stronger and more creative than we’ve heard him to date, providing listeners with an album they can revel in for more than just a few rotations on the turntable.

As long time supporters of Abram Shook, we’re overly excited about the release of his new album, and you should be too! Sun Marquee has already shown its promised with a few incredible singles (which you can stream below), but we’ve got a steal for you! For the price of a simple comment, you can get your hands on a vinyl copy of the record, courtesy of Western Vinyl (and us). I figure since it’s an Austin artist, we should make you leave a comment about the best place in Austin to get a taco. What’s your favorite place? Comment, and it could win you a free LP!

But, if you’re not able to win, and you live in the Austin area, you’ll have a chance to get your hands on a copy during his release show on January 24th at the Mohawk. Tickets are $6, and opening acts Royal Forest and Good Field aren’t too shabby either. Stream the tracks and leave a comment. Contest ends Monday at 11:59 PM.

We’ve long been huge supporters of Abram Shook, one of the nicest musicians around Austin. We adored his work with Great Nostalgic, but now he’s opted to go it his own, which might be for the best if you take a listen to this track. I hear a bit of Bolan in his vocal delivery, but I like how that works against the twanging guitar that calmly sits in the background. Sounds like he’s got things moving in the right direction, which we’ll all get a chance to hear when he releases his Sun Marquee, his new album for local label Western Vinyl.